Public Statements

Fighting for Tax Fairness

Statement

The difference between the two parties in Congress could not be clearer this week: House Republican policies held middle income tax cuts hostage to tax breaks for the top two percent, while Democrats fought to extend tax cuts for all Americans and ensure fairness for the middle class. The cost of the Republican plan is plain: raising taxes on 25 million middle class families by borrowing more from China and exploding our deficit by nearly $1 trillion. While Republicans hand millionaires an extra tax cut of $160,000 next year, even our military families would be forced to endure a tax increase, facing the same uncertainty and unfairness as their fellow Americans.

The Republican plan is nothing more than another message bill to nowhere -- the Senate won't pass it and the President won't sign it into law. At the same time, we all agree on the need to extend tax cuts for the middle class, and we can meet this goal right now by passing the Senate-approved bill -- a measure the President has pledged to sign.

By acting on the Democratic plan, Congress can spur job creation for our economy, ensure fairness for the middle class, provide certainty for our families, businesses, and the budget, and ignite prosperity and opportunity for all Americans.